What to say? What to do? I'm trying to not get swallowed up by it all.

Climb out from under the "breaking news." Stay strong. Fight for our constitution. Give to the ACLU. Protect public media. Check out the 5 Calls App & Call senators and representatives. Hope for hostages returned and for peace in the Middle East for Israelis and Palestinians. Reach out to trans people in my life. (To all my friends and readers here, who are not Jewish, but have reached out to me when some extreme antisemitic thing happens: Thank you.) Ring the bells to stop this new bill being passed called the SAVE Act, that tries to make married women who changed their names unable to vote. Please read up on it.

I’m trying to continue to to remember to be grateful for the things right in front of me, when so many things happening scare the !@#$ out of me.

While we continue to show up, give, fight, I do believe art will be the thing that will both show us the way and help us through this. Loved seeing so many of you in LA at the first reopening after the fires of Ken’s and my Getty PST Ancient Wisdom for a Future Ecology art exhibition tours at the Skirball. It was such a beautiful day of community and art. Ken and I will be down in LA again for Frieze Art Fair next week on Thursday Feb 20 & Friday, 21 at 2pm each day, giving our last artist-led tour of that exhibition. You can RSVP here. The show closes March 2.

I want to share the names of two of my cousins who both died in the last two weeks. First Bruce Shlain. He was a brilliant writer who co-wrote Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD: the CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond. On my mother’s side, the creative and kind Andrea Beard. They were both mensches who I loved connecting with. They both will live on through the people that loved them.

In this month's newsletter of books, films, podcasts and events around the US: including Frieze Art Fair in LA, Ahmed Best for the Long Now Foundation, Ethan Davidson's book launch, Molodi at SHACK15, a talk at the Mechanics Institute for Women's History Month, BAMPFA Art and Film Benefit, and Marin Teen Girls Conference all in the Bay Area; art from Amol K Patil, Nathalia Edenmont at Nancy Hoffman Gallery in NYC, Upstart Modern’s Act Like a Lady, Leonora Carrington, and Deborah Kass; things to watch including Ken on Armchair Expert, Jolt Films, Sugarcane, JFI WinterFest, Counted Out, Shaking It Up, The Apprentice, and Ramona at Midlife; podcasts Design Matters and Dyslexic Design Thinking; books from Kevin Smokler, Reid Hoffman and Greg Beato, and Courtney Carver; experiences including the new musical Redwood, the Nova Exhibition, and Bubbala's restaurant; LA's Altadena Musicians' Wildfire Support; Greater Good Science Center's Spreading Love Grants and JFI's Completion Grants; and things to reflect on from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Krista Tippett.

Love,

Tiffany

ps. I’ll leave you the motto that my good friend Esta’s father, Solomon Goldfarb, used to tell her each day: “We’re alive. Go do something good.”

So glad the Frieze Art Fair is still happening -- it's such a vibrant gathering in Los Angeles. We'll be doing two tours of our exhibition, one on Thursday Feb 20th 2pm and one on Feb 21st at 2pm; RSVP here.

I'm a longtime member of the Long Now community, and I'm looking forward to this event on Valentine's Day in SF at the Herbst Theater, tonight, Friday night at 7pm.
Tickets and more info here.

Ethan Davidson’s And They Arose Early to Do Sexual Violence: My Personal Mirror of Torah challenges readers to consider how ancient narratives parallel humanity’s ongoing struggle with violence and its responses. Register here for this free in-person program co-presented by Reboot. Ethan is such a special and interesting human being -- highly recommend checking this out.

Join Molodi on Feb 20th at SHACK15 in the SF Ferry Building for an evening of body percussion, poetry, and dance, celebrating the profound impact of African-American body percussion and cultural heritage. Get tix.

I had my film studio in the Mechanics Institute for years. It's a wonderful institution. Looking forward to giving a Women's History Month talk about the journey of my movable monument Dendrofemology: A Feminist History Tree Ring from SF to DC to NYC. Hope you can join us on March 6. I will also have an open studio in Sausalito on Saturday, March 8th 2-5pm RSVP here

Celebrate the power of art and inclusivity while raising vital funds for NIAD’s developmentally disabled artists and programs. Get tickets here.

This annual fundraising gala is a great event for a great institution, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. I spent a lot of time in both places when I was a student at UCBerkeley. This year's benefit will honor filmmaker Cheryl Dunye and artist Trevor Paglen, with proceeds going to support all BAMPFA programs, especially ones focusing on student engagement. I'm on the host committee with Ken. I hope you'll join us there!

Blooma is on the advisory committee for this great conference for teen girls. Anyone in Marin, I highly recommend you encourage your teen daughters to go.

Amol K. Patil's fascinating show at BAMPFA explores Mumbai’s chawls, residential structures built in the early 1900s to house mill workers and other migrant laborers.

I find this artwork by Nathalia Edenmont so arresting. Love that my gallery Nancy Hoffman Gallery in Chelsea is showcasing her work. Anyone in NYC, highly recommend.

Leonora Carrington's show at Brandeis University's Rose Art Museum is a feast for the eyes and the imagination. Those of you in SF, Gallery Wendi Norris Gallery has a show of her work up through March 15 -- also highly recommend.

Deborah Kass's show at Studio 94, a restaging of The Art History Paintings, is a response to patriarchal art history. Deb and I became friends this past year. I've always loved her work and can't wait for this show. 

"Act Like a Lady dares to unravel the beautifully tangled mess of femininity, featuring the provocative works of Maggie Meiners and Marjorie Salvaterra and Deborah Hamon with guest artist Michele Pred.” Love Bettina and excited for this exhibition at her Upstart Modern in Sausalito. More info here.

Ken joined Dax Shepard to talk about AI, art and other issues in a really fun discussion for Armchair Expert.  I included the link to listen to the podcast in a recent newsletter but I didn't realize there's a video version which is so fun to watch.

My executive producer, mentor, and dear friend Geralyn Dreyfous is behind Jolt, an incredible new way to experience documentary films. So glad she and others are making this happen. Check it out and be sure to watch Zurawski v Texas, a very important film about reproductive rights.

This documentary examines the investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school in Canada, and the reckoning that follows on the nearby reservation. 

JFI's WinterFest is always such a great event with great Jewish films.

This compelling documentary uses math to investigate issues including political polarization, racial and economic inequity, a global pandemic, and climate change.

Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter, directed by Abby Ginzberg and Carpenter's daughter Christy, examines the life of the journalist-activist feminist leader. The film will air on KQED on March 3 at 9 pm and again on March 7 at 8 pm, and will also be featured at another Northern California film festival at the end of March. 

I didn't want to see this film originally; I don't need to see more Donald Trump. But when it got nominated for an Oscar Ken and I watched it. It is a very powerful film. The acting is incredible, especially Jeremy Strong. And it does give you insights into what we're living through now that I think are helpful.

Brooke Berman's new film about a former Literary It Girl turned single mother is funny and thoughtful. Find it streaming on Apple and Amazon.

Ken and I loved doing a joint interview/conversation with the fabulous Debbie Millman for her podcast Design Matters. We discussed our creative collaboration and exhibition in Los Angeles, Ancient Wisdom as well as Ken’s robotic career.

On the latest episode of Gil Gershoni's wonderful podcast, Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell discuses gaming, technology, entrepreneurship and how his dyslexia continues to influence his five-decade career. Gil is one of my very best friends and godfather to Ken’s and my kids. I am not sure there is a higher endorsement;)

I was honored to be interviewed for Kevin Smokler's forthcoming book about women filmmakers. Pub date is May 22. There will be an opening event at Booksmith on Haight Street in SF with me, Alice Wu, and Cheryl Dunye. Save the date and preorder the book now.

Reid Hoffman and Greg Beato's new book offers a welcome antidote to our current AI fears. I always appreciate Reid's takes on technology and this book is a great  read for anyone interested in AI.

These are hard times; it is important to be gentle with ourselves and each other. Courtney Carver's new book is exactly what we need.

Broadway. Redwoods. All in one! I was introduced to the producer of the new Broadway musical, Redwoods because of our similar approaching using trees to tell stories. Though I haven't seen it yet, I'm dying to. If you're in NYC, go!

This powerful exhibition recreates the Nova Festival which was so brutally attacked on October 7. It is touring the country and is currently in Miami. If you can see it to bear witness, you must.

So excited about this new restaurant serving Jewish comfort food in San Anselmo! Certainly need comfort food right now.

Donate to Altadena Musicians' instrument replacement program for musicians affected by the LA wildfires. Learn more and donate here.

The Greater Good Science Center is requesting proposals for their Spreading Love grants, supporting storytelling projects exploring love.

The Jewish Film Institute's completion grants help filmmakers finish their films. Music to any filmmaker's ears; apply here.

This powerful series from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum documents the individual experiences of survivors. 

Krista Tippett is such an important and wise voice in these troubling times. In this essay, she reminds us not to lose sight of the bigger picture when we're constantly being bombarded by headlines.

The stakes are high. Jamie Metzl's article is absolutely essential reading right now. Read here.

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